Article
Details
Citation
Gallou A, Jump A, Lynn JS, Field R, Irl SD, Steinbauer MJ, Beierkuhnlein C, Chen J, Chou C, Hemp A, Kidane Y, K?nig C, Kreft H, Naqinezhad A & Nowak A (2023) Diurnal temperature range as a key predictor of plants¡¯ elevation ranges globally. Nature Communications, 14, Art. No.: 7890. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43477-8
Abstract
A prominent hypothesis in ecology is that larger species ranges are found in more variable climates because species develop broader environmental tolerances, predicting a positive range size-temperature variability relationship. However, this overlooks the extreme temperatures that variable climates impose on species, with upper or lower thermal limits more likely to be exceeded. Accordingly, we propose the ¡®temperature range squeeze¡¯ hypothesis, predicting a negative range size-temperature variability relationship. We test these contrasting predictions by relating 88,000 elevation range sizes of vascular plants in 44 mountains to short- and long-term temperature variation. Consistent with our hypothesis, we find that species¡¯ range size is negatively correlated with diurnal temperature range. Accurate predictions of short-term temperature variation will become increasingly important for extinction risk assessment in the future.
Keywords
Diurnal temperature range; plants; key predictors; ecology
Notes
Additional co-authors: Jan-Niklas Nuppenau, Panayiotis Trigas, Jonathan P. Price, Carl A. Roland, Andreas H. Schweiger, Patrick Weigelt, Suzette G.A. Flantua and John-Arvid Grynes
Status | Published |
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Publication date | 30/11/2023 |
Publication date online | 30/11/2023 |
Date accepted by journal | 10/11/2023 |
URL | |
eISSN | 2041-1723 |
People (1)
Dean of Natural Sciences, NS Management and Support